Saw a lot of people made a post with their picks and some reasoning. While I am only 75th and overlooked some important riders (Del Toro!) as I had just read about the game and then made the selection in an hour... hereby the rationale:
Ayuso: Young, talented and cheaper than some other GC hopefuls.
Pidcock: Sucked in CX this season but hoping his GC hope will pan out, otherwise hoping for stages to finish on a descend
Carlos Rodriguez: Hoping for further improve my GC wise!
Filippo Zana: Looked good in last year's giro (right?). Hoping it's onward and upwards
Jay Vine: Well, I have a Zwift bias.
Lenny Martinez: Expecting some results this year
Max Poole: Youth has the future
Ivan Garcia Cortina: No idea why I picked him to be honest. Had I picked list an hour later someone else would randomly be on!
Per Strand Hagenes: Young, talented and hoping Visma can get him to the absolute top
Rune Herregodts: Was better before turning pro. Hoping he was just a relative slow starter
Bart Lemmen: Hoping for Visma magic. Worked quite well in TDU! Also a Dutch bias here.
Jan Tratnik: Seemed cheaper than deserved. Although risk of being just a domestique with little points.
Marco Frigo: Looked ok in Giro last year
Sam Oomen: Dutch bias. Hasn't performed well. Other have left Visma hoping to do better, few managed. But was affordable so why not ?
Sean Flynn: young
Luca Vergallito: Il Bandito and... Zwift bias. Given the team has nothing for climbing he should be able to have freedom in such races to get points
Franck Bonnamour: I was cycling in Corsica last May. Saw someone descend in AG2R outfit and could see he knew what he was doing. Had to look up on Strava who it was. Much better than the amateurs like us, unfortunately not great compared to the stars of the sport. Hence, personal bias to pick him anyway !
David Dekker: Dutch bias. Hoping for some points in sprints.
Valgren: Zwift bias. Cycled versus his brother in the lower categories and that was entertaining. So hoping Valgren will recover well and get some solid wins again.
Brenner: Was a huge talent. Hoping it will still show.
Palzer: Did quite ok in Tour of Turkey. Has the engine...
Rootkin-Gray: Seemed to have some potential for points in Tour of Britain
Pernsteiner: Was quite ok a few years back but stagnated. Hoping it to change for 2024.
Anders Halland Johannesen: Why not? Not to expensive
Quintana: Cheap, on a decent team and always delivers in GC.
Vuillermoz: Team filler but had some nice moves in the past
Dries de Pooter: Team filler and cheap. Why not?
Ramon Sinkeldam: Team filler. Will only score points if main sprinter drops out so regret already
Gesink: I'm a fan, while realizing he won't score much points. Nowadays has to work far to early and Gesink of 2009 unfortunately isn't there anymore. Still hoping he will get a stage win this year. In 2022 he was very close in Vuelta if it wasn't for damn Remco!
Puccio: Cheap and name rang a bell...
Herrada: Cheaper than expected unless I misremembered he did quite well in some French races
Loe van Belle: Dutch bias and maybe Visma bias?
Tibor del Grosso: Looked decent in CX!
Going through list, not overly optimistic for the season. Even forgot numerous picks which doesn't reflect well ...
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